


The "Other" Universe

by flynnaw00



Category: Coraline (2009), Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coraline (2009) Fusion, Body Horror, Dolls, Horror, Manipulation, Steven Universe Coraline AU, its almost halloween lol time for spooky, takes place in SUF, which i havent seen before in coraline aus for su soooo, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26998384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flynnaw00/pseuds/flynnaw00
Summary: Steven Universe finds a locked door somewhere, and goes inside. What he finds on the other side is a dream that's too good to be true.A Steven Universe Future Coraline AU! With all the angst of SUF and the horror of Coraline rolled into one.
Comments: 19
Kudos: 61





	1. The Doll

**Author's Note:**

> first chaps short but it's only to set up the plot. next one will be longer, so stay tuned.

“Alright, am I in frame?”

Blue Lace Agate gave a thumbs up, keeping the camera steady. Steven grinned and cleared his throat.

“Hey all you gems out there in the Universe!” 

Today was a big day for Steven and Little Homeschool: their first ever commercial, showcasing to all the wayward gems out there that Little Homeschool was a better option! Steven really hoped it would draw more students in, especially with all they had to offer. 

After his fight with Jasper and what happened with Volleyball, Steven was glad he was back in the swing of things. With a script, nothing could go wrong.

“And cut!” He called, jogging over to Blue Lace Agate and taking the camera. “Thanks for helping shoot our commercial, guys!”

“I’m an actor.” Larimar smiled.

Steven ignored that statement and put the camera and tripod into his duffle bag. “I’ll take this home and do some editing.”

“Steven, you smell good.”

Steven furrowed his brows, glancing behind him at Peridot, who was giving him a thumbs up. 

“Uh… What?” He asked, a little weirded out. 

She pointed to the back of his jacket. “It's written on your back.”

Steven craned his neck and looked at his back. Sure enough, there was a piece of paper taped there that read:  _ Tell me I smell good _ in less than average handwriting. He furrowed his brows.  _ Was this a prank _ ?

Peridot chuckled and took it off of him. “Hehe, you obviously wrote this yourself.”

“No, I didn’t.” He corrected, sipping on his juicebox. He expected apple juice, but what he got instead was a mouthful of tomato. He spit it out, face scrunching up into disgust. “Ugh! Tomato soup?”

“I thought you loved tomato soup!” Peridot said chipperly. Steven stared at her, thoroughly confused now. 

“Yeah, but where’d my juice go…?”

As he spoke, he saw a line of toilet paper roll past him. He followed the trail and gasped. “Oh no! The Dondai’s been…”

A stack of about twelve rolls were neatly placed on top of his car.

“Kinda… covered in toilet paper?”

He heard a far off sinister chuckle from somewhere and startled, glancing around. He huffed. 

“Hey! Whoever you are that’s  _ ‘pranking’  _ me, you’ve got a really weird idea of what a prank is!” He called out, to no response. He sighed and walked over to the Dondai, picking up a fallen roll.

“Well, at least I don’t have to pick up more toilet paper.” He mumbled to himself.

“Hey! Steven!”

Steven internally groaned.  _ What now _ ? He turned and saw a short green gem running towards him, with something behind their back.

“Oh, Chrysoprase! Nice to see you.” He greeted. “What is it?”

Chrysoprase stopped in front of him, a smile on her face. “Look what I found!”

She presented what she was holding behind her back to him: a cloth doll of his likeness with a mouth sewn shut and hot pink button eyes. Steven recoiled in horror and stared at the doll. 

“Uh…” She handed it to him, and he took it in his hands. “You… said you…  _ found _ this?”

“Mhmm!” Chrysoprase nodded. “It looks a lot like you, doesn’t it? Is it yours?”

“No!” Steven said, a bit harshly. “I--”

He bit his lip, turning the doll over in his hands. Every detail of his clothing was accounted for: and the jacket seemed to be removable. He lifted up the shirt, and found a smaller pink button sewn into his stomach, meant to be his gem. The only thing that seemed to be off about the doll was the body type. 

“Are you sure…  _ you _ didn’t make it?” He asked, giving Chrysoprase a suspicious look.  _ Maybe she was the prankster? But, she was always very nice to him, so why… _

Chrysoprase shook her head. “Nope, not me! Although, whoever did must love you very much.”

“Yeah…” Steven said skeptically, eyeing the doll. “Maybe a bit  _ too _ much…”

“Hm?”

“Ah, nothing.” He said. “Um, thank you for giving this to me? I, uh, gotta go… So…” 

“You’re welcome, Steven.” Chrysoprase said, waving goodbye as she jogged off. “See you later!”

“Bye!” He called back, opening his car door and sliding in. He sighed and pulled the door shut, shucking his dufflebag into the passengers seat. He reached over to buckle it in, and found he was still holding the doll. He stared contemplatively at it for a few moments before shrugging and chucking it inside of the duffle bag, buckling in all the items and then himself.

“Maybe I can put it in Amethyst’s junk pile…” He mumbled to himself, driving off.

\---

Today had been…  _ awful _ .

Turns out the one “pranking” him was Bluebird, a fusion of Eyeball and Aquamarine (ugh) and they were just doing it to get revenge. Thankfully, the worst damage they did was giving his dad a haircut, and even that was devastating for his father. 

Steven flopped down on his bed, sighing deeply and shutting his eyes as he tried to think about something else  _ other _ than his horrible day. His mind drifted from topic to topic until it landed back to the beginning of his day: the commercial. He still had to edit it, which would be a pain in the ass, but it’d take his mind off of Bluebird at least.

He got up and found his duffel bag, setting it on his bed and opening it up to retrieve the camera. What greeted him was his doll's own smiling face and empty button eyes. He sighed.

“Oh, right, you.”

He took out the doll and hummed. “What to do with you…?” 

He glanced up at his bedroom, examining the shelves.  _ Hmm… No, he didn’t want this thing in his room.  _ He glanced downstairs.  _ Hmm… Still no, then people would see it and question him about it.  _ He glanced up at the doorway that led to the greenhouse.  _ Hmm…  _

_ That would work. _

He stood up and walked over to the greenhouse, pushing open the glass doors and looking around. It was pretty empty at the moment, save for some azaleas by the door and a plant or two on the shelves. Maybe one day he’d actually commit to a garden. 

“Alright, little me… you can stay here, and watch over the azaleas! How’s that sound?” 

He placed the doll on one of the shelves, facing the azaleas. It was completely silent in the glass dome.

“Right…” Steven sighed. “... Well, um. At least you won’t be watching  _ me _ , haha…”

He left the greenhouse, taking one last glance at the doll before going to his bedroom. 


	2. The Others

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven meets some familiar faces for the first(?) time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> told y'all I'd upload a longer chap next time! :)
> 
> //tw for button eyes, ofc, and the manipulation that comes with coraline

Rain was beating down on his back, soaking through his jacket and chilling his skin. He knelt down, hands shaking as he stared at Jasper’s shards.

Jasper was dead.

And he killed her.

All his confidence and power drained, replaced with the building anxiety of a panic attack. He desperately dug through the mud, mumbling indistinctly to himself as he gathered up the shards in his hands. He kept searching, fervently, scared he was missed a piece. A bolt of lightning startled him out of his daze and he shakily stood up, clasping the shards between his palms and sprinting for his car. 

The dead and sickly trees bobbed in his vision, the forest dark and blurring their edges. He squinted, hoping he didn’t trip and somehow break her  _ more _ . 

His eyes searched for light, any light, that would lead to a road or his car or  _ something _ to get him out of this damn forest. They caught onto one, faint and distant and--  _ purple _ ? He contemplated that for only a moment before running towards the light, hoping it was the road.

It led him to a cave, the light shining out from within. He frowned and peeked inside, eyes scanning for-- well, he didn’t know what. Instead, all he saw was the light: blue and purple swirling oddly out from whatever was deeper in.

He shook his head and turned away, running in search of his car again. He didn’t have time for whatever mysterious thing was in that cave, he needed to fix Jasper.

\---

“You can’t disappear for days without telling us!” Pearl cried to him. He barely took in her words, stiffly moving past her and up the stairs. The only thing on his mind was  _ getting out _ of this awful situation. He needed to  _ leave _ , someplace where they couldn’t follow him. 

His first instinct, as he was heading upstairs, was to his room: comfortable and safe. But once he reached it, he realized that he didn’t have a door and couldn’t shut them out. He needed to go  _ further _ . He kept walking to the greenhouse and entered, the place now filled with dying plants. 

“Steven, wait!” Pearl begged.

“You don’t need to go.” Garnet added. 

Steven sighed deeply and felt his pink energy build up inside him before he held out a hand and blocked them off with a wall. He opened his mouth, getting ready to explain where he was going, before he got the  _ strangest _ vision. 

He saw, in his mind, the cave he passed on the way over here. It’s light was luring him in, dancing along the walls and making him feel  _ warm _ …

He blinked a few times, his brain feeling foggy now. He groaned and gripped his skull.

He… was going to go to Homeworld…

_ But why go to Homeworld when he could go someplace else? Someplace the gems and Jasper would never find him? I mean, Homeworld was easily accessible, and the Diamonds were there. That cave was remote, and nobody would check it. _

Steven found himself agreeing with that thought. It was odd, but he definitely wanted to check out that cave…

“Steven!?” Pearl called again, banging on the wall. “What’s going on?”

“I…” Steven stared up at them. “... I’m… gonna go. Please, uh, don’t follow me.”

“Go where!?” Amethyst asked.

Garnet placed a hand against the wall. “Steven--”

Steven warped down to the main part of the house, running out the door and to his car. He felt like he was on autopilot, and his brain was all fogged up, but that didn’t matter: what mattered was getting away from here and to that cave.

\---

He flung himself out of the car, sprinting towards the cave with a fervor he couldn’t place. He had no idea why he wanted to go to this cave  _ that _ badly, but he  _ did _ know he was kind of thinking about it earlier… and it made sense: the gems wouldn’t go into a random cave he had only discovered a few minutes ago. 

He skidded to a stop in front of the cave, and his fervor was blown out like a candle. He knelt down, attempting to catch his breath. His legs hurt from running so far on uneven ground, and his chest was starting to burn from his previous panic attack plus the running. 

He had only been allowed to breathe for a few moments before he felt something small graze his ankle. He squeaked in surprise and looked down, finding his doll's face staring back at him. He recoiled in shock, watching as the doll was dragged by an invisible force deeper into the cave. 

“...”

He shook his head and began to run after the doll. “H-hey! Wait!” He called.

He went deeper into the cave, and the deeper into the cave he got the more he noticed the blue and purple lights that were shining from around the corner. They swirled and flowed like he was underwater, looking up. His running turned to jogging, then to walking, as he gazed at the lights in awe. 

“Wha…”

He followed a particular pattern until his eyes saw the doll again, on it’s side, peeking from around the corner. Steven reached down to grab it, but it was dragged away again. He rounded the corner, and stopped dead.

There, in front of him, was a small doorway. The dazzling lights were shining out from behind it, illuminating it in wonderful colours. It was made out of dark wood, with black hinges and an ornate, swirling, design that reminded him a little of a flower. 

He stared at the door in bewilderment.  _ Why was there a door here? Was this some gem thing? Did Jasper do this somehow? Is the doll being pulled in? Was there another corrupted gem in there that was manipulating this cave?  _

He tore his eyes away from the door and looked down, finding the doll. He lifted up the doll and saw that it now held a key in its hands. He hummed and grabbed it, holding it up to the light to see it better: what he saw was a black, old, key, with two exaggerated teeth at the bottom and a head that looked kind of like a button. He turned it around in his hands, sitting down in front of the door. 

This was a lot to process, and his mind was swimming with questions. He’s gone through some  _ weird _ stuff, but this, so far, seemed to be the weirdest. 

He cast a glance towards the door, and noticed it had a keyhole. He hummed, stuffing the doll into his pocket and leaning forward. He slid the key into the lock, and it fit perfectly. He curiously twisted it, summoning his shield just in case a corrupted gem really was in there. 

When he opened the door, he only meant to open it a crack, just to peek inside to satisfy his curiosity. However, it seemed the door had other plans. It opened completely, and Steven backed up, looking inside. 

It was pitch black for a moment, before a spiral of blue and purple light twisted and turned into a tunnel, that led to something he couldn’t quite see. It wobbled and glittered, luring him in. He gasped, leaning forward to try and get a better look.

“What on Earth…?” He mumbled to himself. He hadn’t ever seen anything like this, and if this was a gem thing, he didn’t know why it would be in the forest of all places. 

He leaned back, seated on his heels. 

Well, now he knew. Curiosity satiated. He supposed he should go home now, or just chill here for a bit until he calmed down. There wasn’t much to do in this cave anyways. 

He grabbed the door with the intention of shutting and locking it again, but before he could, his doll (which was still in his pocket), grabbed his phone and was dragged into the tunnel.

“Hey!” Steven called, reaching out. “That’s my phone! Give it back!”

The doll was moving quick, and he growled, crawling inside and diving for the doll. It evaded his attempts and eventually thunked against the other door that was at the end of the tunnel. 

Steven grabbed his phone and shoved it back in his pocket, giving the doll a nasty look.

“Aren’t you supposed to do what  _ I _ say if I brought you to life?” He scolded. “Seriously, jeez…”

He looked ahead of him, and furrowed his brows. Another door?

He looked behind him, only seeing the tunnel and darkness at the end of it. 

He whined. He had a weird feeling about this door… but, something in him… was really curious. And, if it was a corrupted gem, he didn’t want to leave it here…

He sighed. Curse his good nature.

He pushed open the door and crawled through, leaving the doll behind. What he found on the other side, he never expected. 

He was back in… his room?

He blinked a few times, then rubbed his eyes. Why was he in his room? Was this an illusion? Did the gem trapped here have that kind of power? And, if so, why to his room? 

From downstairs, he could start to hear a peaceful humming. He narrowed his eyes, then gasped. Pearl?

He felt anxiety rise up in him, and turned tail to rush out the door again.  _ Nope, nope, nope, he wanted to get away from home, not come back to it! _

“Steven?” She called. He flinched and gulped, staying quiet.

“Steven, I know you’re up there!” She called. “It’s alright, I’ve made breakfast!”

_ Breakfast? _ Steven wondered.  _ At night? Or, did he fall asleep and now it was day? _

He glanced towards his window, and found the curtain was drawn in front of it. He gently moved the edge aside, peeking out. To his surprise, it was morning. Now he was even more confused:  _ was this an illusion, or was he dreaming, or…? _

“Steven?” Pearl called again. “Your pancakes will get cold! C’mon now, don’t let my cooking go to waste!”

Steven bit his lip, glancing between the door and downstairs. If this was a dream, it was harmless, if this was an illusion, it could mean trouble, but he wasn’t going to get anywhere just standing here either way. 

“U-um.” He stammered. “Coming?” 

He bent down and picked up the key, shoving it in pocket with his phone and heading downstairs. He saw Pearl, at the kitchen counter, humming that same song and stirring a bowl of… something. On the table was a stack of pancakes and a smoothie. On closer inspection, the pancakes were blueberry and strawberry, with a side of syrup and whip cream.

Steven quirked his mouth to the side disapprovingly.

“Um, I’m sorry, Pearl, I’m not really into together breakfast anymore…”

“Hm?” Pearl glanced behind her quickly, but he still couldn’t see her face. “Oh, I know you like them healthy, dear, which is why I put all the extras on the side. And if you don’t want that, there’s a smoothie right there. Or, perhaps I could whip you up something else?”

_Dear?_ _She’s never called me that before… Was this because of last night?_ He wondered to himself, pulling out a chair and clearing his throat. 

“So, um… Pearl?”

“Yes?” She answered, putting down her bowl and moving to the fridge.

“Is… um.” He stalled, muling over his choices for a bit before sighing and forcing himself to ask: “Is this because of… last night? I-I’m sorry I ran off…”

“Last night?” She asked. “When you ran away after coming out of the bathroom?”

“Y-yeah… um, listen, I’m… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” He said quietly, biting his lip and moving his straw around in his smoothie. “It was immature of me. Um…”

“No, I don’t think so.” She said, shutting the fridge door.

“Huh?” He looked up.

She chuckled to herself. “Steven, I think you running away was the best decision you’ve made in a while.”

“What?” He paled. 

“Because now… you get to meet me.” She smiled, finally turning around. 

Steven screamed and toppled his chair to the floor, scrambling away from her and breathing hard. 

What stood in front of him was someone who looked exactly like Pearl in size, shape, and voice, but there was one key difference: she had light blue buttons in place of her eyes. 

“Oh, goodness!” She laughed. “Did I startle you?”

“Uh- YES!” He shouted. “You-- Pearl, what-- thi-- is this some kind of  _ weird _ prank!? Did Amethyst put you up to this?”

Pearl chuckled again, putting her thin fingers over her mouth. “Oh, no, silly... I’m not Pearl! I’m your  _ other _ Pearl!”

“O… other… Pearl?” He asked slowly.

“Yes, dear.” She said. “Oh, how I’ve been waiting to see you for so long…”

“Uh.” Steven blinked. “Pearl… This is a weird prank.”

Other Pearl sighed. “No, no, Steven. I’m your  _ other _ Pearl.” She put her hands on her hips, seemingly a little annoyed. “I see you’re the type who needs everything explained, hm?”

“Uh, yeah, I would  _ love _ an explanation right now.” He said, narrowing his eyes at her.

“Alright, then, have a seat.” She said, pulling out a chair and gesturing to it with a smile. Steven hesitated a moment, before sitting down and letting her push him in. She sat at the chair across from him, her hands folded beneath her chin.

“You see, Steven, everyone has a second family. Their ‘ _ other _ ’ family, if you will. We’re just like your old family in your world, but… a little… different!”

“‘Cause of the buttons…?” He asked.

“No, no, silly.” She chuckled. “Though, I suppose these are a little different for you, hm?”

“Definitely…” Steven nodded. “Um. I’m sorry, I think this is a dream? Or… an illusion? I-if you’re a corrupted gem, can you stop this… please? I can heal you, I promise.”

Other Pearl tilted her head. “What are you talking about? This is all real.”

She got up and pushed in her chair. “Why don’t you go tell Amethyst and Garnet that breakfast is ready, hm? I’m sure they’d love to eat with you.” 

Steven furrowed his brows and slowly got up. “Um… okay?” 

She turned around, going back to cooking. He gulped and turned away from her, heading to the temple door. He kept glancing at her over his shoulder, just to make sure she wasn’t going to do anything to him. When he reached the door, he raised his hand to knock, then lowered it slowly.

After what happened with Peridot and Camp Pining Hearts, he had looked up a lot of techniques to tell if you were dreaming. Well, now was a good time to test it out.

He held his breath and clamped his nose, and couldn’t breathe. He let go and looked at a nearby clock. He checked it again, and it was the same time. He pinched himself and felt it, and finally he looked down at his phone and could read the time. But he couldn’t unlock it. He hummed: okay, so not dreaming… Then, this was an illusion, and he needed someway to get to the gem inside.

“Steven?” 

Steven jolted, looking behind him. “Uh- y-yes?”

“Amethyst and Garnet are outside.” She said. “Not in there.”

“Oh.” Steven said dumbly, walking back across the house. “Thank you, um, Other Pearl.”

She smiled at him and turned back to cooking.

Steven pushed open the front door, squinting at the harsh sunlight that streamed in. It was very warm outside, perfect beach weather with a little breeze. The ocean was glistening and Little Homeworld looked vibrant in the distance. He looked around, taking it all in, before he heard a voice beside him.

“Yo.”

He startled and stared down at Amethyst- or, as the purple buttons would suggest, the  _ other _ Amethyst.

“Uh, h-hey, Other Amethyst.” He greeted nervously. “Um, P-Pearl said that the food’s ready?”

“Aw, sweet!” She beamed, hopping out of her chair. She came up to Steven and slung an arm around his shoulder. He cringed, but didn’t move her out of politeness.

“Also, it’s nice to finally have you here, dude. Wasn’t the same without ‘cha.”

She went inside. Steven rubbed his neck awkwardly.  _ Wasn’t the same? What? He’d never been here before… _

He looked around for Garnet on the patio, but didn’t see her. Pearl said she was outside with Amethyst…

“Hello, Steven.”

Steven jumped again, holding a hand over his heart as he leaned against the railing. “Jeez, you guys gotta stop coming out of nowhere like that!”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” She said, taking the towel she was holding and drying herself off. She was wearing a nice swimsuit that matched her normal colour palette, with gold accents and her signature star shades. Her hair was… wet. Somehow. “Was just taking a swim. What’s up?”

“Uh.” Steven blinked. “... Pearl said food is ready? But, um, I…Not to be rude, but… where are your eyes? Or, your… buttons, I guess.”   


“Where do you think they are?”

“Uh.” Steven took a moment to respond before shrugging. “Under your visor?”

Other Garnet nodded, and headed inside by kicking the door open lightly. Steven followed after her.

Inside, the Other Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl were all sitting at the table. They watched him as he sat down, grabbing his fork and knife. 

“Um.” He cleared his throat, trying to dispel the weird vibe he was getting from their gazes. “Aren’t you guys going to eat?”

“Oh, sure!” Other Pearl said, cutting up her food and taking a bite. She smiled and swallowed it. Other Amethyst and Garnet began to eat as well. 

Steven stared at her. “... Y’know… The Pearl  _ I _ know doesn’t eat.”

“Oh?” Other Pearl raised her brows. “And why not?”

“Because she doesn’t like it.” He crossed his arms. “And she doesn’t need to. You’re not fooling me.”

“Fooling you?” Other Pearl set down her silverware, putting a hand to her chest in offense “Steven, I would never try to deceive you. Everything I’ve told you about myself up until right this moment has been the absolute truth!”

“You said you were Pearl.”

“No, I said I was the  _ other _ Pearl.” She corrected. “And I am! I’m not an exact copy, and I’m not here to fool you into thinking you’re in your  _ old  _ world. Things are different here, Steven. Better, even.”

“Better?” Steven quirked a brow. “How?”

“Try the pancakes and find out.” She smiled. “They’ll be the best you’ve ever had.”

Steven looked skeptically down at the pancakes, still warm. He poked them, and they jiggled a bit. He gulped and cut into the top one, hesitantly forking it into his mouth. Instantly, the flavour hit him. It was unlike anything he had ever tasted before, yet familiar like a comfort food. 

He melted into his chair, practically purring as he swallowed his food.

“Like it?” Other Pearl asked. Steven nodded and sat up, pouring some syrup on it and eating more. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a  _ real _ breakfast instead of a smoothie since he was too busy running Little Homeschool…

“So, um…” He swallowed another bite. “If this is  _ really _ another world, or, whatever...” He scoffed. “Then are there copies of everyone?”

“There are _other_ _versions_ , yes.” Other Pearl said. “You have another Father, another Lars, another Sadie, another _Connie_ …”

“Whoa.” Steven blinked. “And do they all…”

“Have buttons?” She chuckled. “Yes. We  _ all _ have buttons, dear.”

“Why?”

“So many questions!” She tittered, booping his nose. “Listen, Steven, why don’t you go out and explore? Or, perhaps after breakfast, we can all play a game?”

“Like Steven Tag!” Other Amethyst piped up, goofily raising her arms in a mock-threat towards Steven.

Steven chuckled awkwardly. “No Steven Tag, thank you. I think I’ll walk around some. Maybe go into town?”

“Sure, dear!” Other Pearl said. “And remember: don’t go too far! We don’t want to lose you.”

Steven nodded and got up. “You got it. Um, I’ll be right back?”

“Goodbye, Steven!” Other Pearl called. The others waved limply in sync with her. Steven turned and headed out the door, going down the steps and tying his jacket around his waist. It was a bit too hot now for that, in this world.

He looked up at the sky, down at the sand, over at the beach… everything looked very real, and unlike the last time he was in a different Beach City, this was going… well? Other than the button eyes, of course. He was still considering this an illusion, but there was a small drop of doubt in his mind: because how could one gem make  _ all _ this? Rose’s room, the room of a  _ Diamond _ couldn’t even handle this much. And if this was a gem’s creation,  _ why _ this? And  _ how _ did it know about his life?

He paled. 

_ Wait, how did THEY know about his life? How did they know him if he’s never been here before?  _

He walked on autopilot, mind a dizzy blur of question after question before he bumped into somebody. He recoiled. 

“Sorry.” He apologized instinctively. He looked up at whoever he bumped into, and found his father’s face (plus brown button eyes). He cringed and took a step back. “Dad?”

His other father looked a lot like Greg, but there were a few differences. He looked cleaner, his clothes were nicer (something else than a tank top and sweatpants), and his hair was fuller and longer again. He had a healthy glow to him.

His other father looked down at him and beamed. “Schtu-ball!” He scooped him up in a big dad hug, practically squeezing the life out of him before setting him down again. Steven wobbled a bit, catching his breath. “Uh… Nice to meet you?”

“Oh, quit the formalities, kiddo.” Other Greg smiled. “I’m your other father! Practically your dad. What brings you over here?”

“Um.” Steven looked around, finding that he was at the carwash… but the garage beside it was now a house. “I dunno. Looking around, I guess? Um, other Pearl told me to… do that. What happened to your hair?”

“You mean other than 24 hours a day of sun and ocean?” Other Greg smirked, flipping his hair dorkily. Steven understood it was a joke, but it fell a bit flat.

“No, no.” He corrected, pointing to his hair. “It’s long again.”

“Always has been, kiddo.” Other Greg smiled. 

“But… um, the other you-- the  _ real _ you, got it cut off?”

Other Greg frowned and put his hands on his hips before cracking a smile again. “Well, jee, that’s just the other one! I didn't get my hair cut off because Bluebird wasn’t here to do that! There’s no danger here, Steven, don’t you worry.”

“No danger?” Steven furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, man…” Other Greg frowned. “You poor thing, all you  _ know _ is danger, huh?”

“Huh?” Steven stiffened. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“Well, I mean, you’ve been through a lot, haven’t you, kiddo?” Other Greg asked, leaning down. “Bluebird, the cactus, y’know…”

“Um.” Steven frowned, feeling anxiety well up inside him. Surprisingly, though, he didn’t go pink. 

“But don’t worry about all that now!” Other Greg said, suddenly chipper. “There’s no danger  _ here! Here _ you’re safe and secure! No problems, no stress, no nothing! It’s all good here!”

“It… is?” Steven tilted his head. “Somehow, I find that hard to believe.”

“Why’s that?” Other Greg stared at him. But perhaps that was only because his button eyes never blinked. Steven shrank under his gaze and laughed nervously. 

“Uh… no reason. Just-- just a feeling.”

“Ah, lighten up.” Other Greg said. “It’s all good! Uh, say, you wanna go and… do something? Drive around in the van, decorate it, maybe spruce up the Dondai?”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Steven waved his hands. “The van was wrecked last night! Remember?”

“Nope!” Other Greg said proudly. “That never happened here! The van’s all good!”

“Oh, jeez…” Steven bit his lip. “I- I dunno, last time I rode in the van…”

“You don’t have to drive, kiddo.” Other Greg patted his back. “But trust me, you won’t be going pink. Ain’t no reason to here!”

“Let me guess: it’s  _ all good _ ?” Steven remarked. Other Greg laughed and nodded. 

“Yup! So, what’d’ya wanna do?”

Steven glanced over at the carwash, then at the house. “... Who’s house is that? I don't recognize it…”

Other Greg looked over at the house for a moment before turning back to Steven with a slightly puzzled expression. “ _ My _ house.”

Steven sputtered, eyes going wide. “ _ Your _ house!? You don’t have a--”

Other Greg gave him a look. Steven blinked.

“Ah.” Steven smiled nervously. “I guess… the  _ other _ you has a house, huh?”

“Nope, not the other me, but I do!” Other Greg said, walking up to the door. “It was your house, too, y’know.” He said. “It still can be, if you want. You’re free to crash here anytime.” He opened the door.

Steven was about to politely decline Other Greg’s offer right before the door opened, and then he smelled the most  _ amazing _ ,  _ comforting,  _ smell… Something like vanilla, with a hint of freshly baked bread.

“Ooh…” He sniffed the air. “What’s… that?”

“Candles.” Other Greg said, shutting the door behind him and Steven. “I like to have my house smelling good. Don’t you agree?”

“I do…” Steven said, looking around the house now that he was inside. The house had spacious ceilings and warm coloured walls. There were shelves stacked with cute knick-knacks and books on niche, lovely, topics. There was a fireplace to the right, with two armchairs in front of it, fuzzy blankets draped over them. It was somewhat reminiscent of his real dad’s childhood home, if he was being honest. 

“Is this your… parent’s home?” Steven asked him. Other Greg shook his head. “Nope, all ours. Just got that same charm.”

“Oh.” Steven nodded. “I see…”

“Do you wanna see  _ your _ bedroom, Steven?” Other Greg asked softly. Steven’s eyes sparkled and he nodded. “Yeah!”

Other Greg held his hand and led him upstairs, passing by picture frames filled with Steven, his friends, and his family. They all had button eyes, including him. His eyes went wide and he craned his neck, staring at his button-eyed self for as long as he could before he was forced to look away. 

Steven opened the door to his room and gasped.

His room was wonderful. The bed was large and soft, with a big, star patterned, comforter laid on top of mountains of pillows. His walls were warmly coloured with posters, and on his shelves were some of the same knick-knacks he had back home: the World’s Best Stephen mug, his gals and guys, and a few new ones that looked charming. He had a desk on the opposite side of the room, facing the open window. On it were books, his reading lamp, some candles, and a picture frame with a button-eyed him and Connie inside. It was like his room at home, but…  _ better _ . 

“You like it?” Other Greg asked.

“I  _ love _ it!” Steven beamed, running in and flopping down on the bed. He giggled and hugged his teddy bear to his chest, looking more around in awe. He glanced at the ceiling and gasped loudly.

“Glow in the dark stars!!!” He squealed. “I’ve always wanted those!”

Other Greg chuckled and sat down on the bed with him. Steven smiled back at him, smile faltering for a moment when he tried to look into his eyes and found none.

“...” He reached out and tapped one of the buttons. Other Greg chuckled.

“They’re not coming off, Schtu-ball.”

“I wasn’t trying to take them out!” Steven said. “I… was just… curious. Why do you have buttons for eyes?”

“It’s… uh…” Other Greg thought for a moment. “It’s… just the way things are here.”

“Why?”

Other Greg shrugged. “Hell if I know, I just live here.”

“Oh.” Steven frowned. “I see.”

Other Greg smiled softly and ruffled his hair. “That doesn’t really matter now, does it? You like your room, right?”

Steven nodded eagerly. “Mhmm! I love it! It’s what I’ve always wanted!”

“I’m glad to hear it. Say, you wanna come downstairs and make something with me?”

“I just ate breakfast, sorry.” Steven said and put down his stuffed animal. “Um, actually, my family’s probably wondering where I am…”

“But you told them you were heading here?” Other Greg tilted his head. Steven shook his. “No, no, I mean my  _ real _ family.”

“The family you’ve got back in the other other world?”

Steven nodded.

“...” Other Greg bit his lip, looking around for a moment, as if expecting to see someone. Then, he turned back to Steven.

“Weren’t you, uh, trying to get away from them?”

Steven looked down. That was true… But, he couldn’t stay here forever. He needed to go back at some point, and he didn’t want to be a bother.

“I guess. But, I’d like to go back now.” He said. 

“Alright.” Other Greg said. “If you’re, um, sure. How you get back home is by going to sleep, okay? So just shut your eyes and you’ll be back home in no time.”

“I don’t go through the door again?” Steven quirked a brow.

“Nope.” Other Greg shook his head. “It’s by sleeping. So hurry up, Schtu-ball.” He pat his head and gave him a kiss. Steven froze up, not used to his father giving him kisses on the forehead goodnight. He didn’t exactly mind it, though… maybe a nap would be okay.

“Night, Schtu-ball.” Other Greg said, shutting off the light. Steven looked over. 

“Goodnight, da-- Uh, I mean… other dad.”

Other Greg smiled tensely and nodded, shutting the door.

Steven looked up at his ceiling, in awe of the stars there, and giggled to himself, getting comfy in his bed before he realized he was still in his normal clothes. He frowned and got out of bed. No way was he sleeping with shoes and jeans on. Maybe this bedroom had some nice PJs?

He opened the dresser on the other side of the room and saw tons of comfy PJs. He flicked through them and found some nice yellow ones that were similar to the ones he wore as a kid. These ones were patterned with cats silhouettes and had pockets, though. Also, a nice ribbon below the collar! Steven slipped off his regular clothes and on his new ones, going to the mirror and looking at himself. He looked really nice, actually... 

He looked back to the bed and got in, pulling up the covers and yawning as he held a stuffed animal close. Just a nap couldn’t hurt… this place was probably fine, even if a small part of him was screaming to run, it was soon silenced by his slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment I consume them for power. 
> 
> Also might edit and post steven in his cute pjs :)


	3. Back to the Real World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven wakes up in his bed, but somethings off. Connie helps him investigate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //unreality (as in steven doesnt know if hes dreaming or awake), a bit of body horror (stevens body bulging like it does in the show), and

Steven slowly stirred from his slumber, his eyes cracking open as he yawned and sat up in his bed. He reached around sleepily for his teddy bear, but found none. His eyes opened blearily to get a better look, and he found that he was back in his old- er- his  _ real _ bedroom. It was just how he left it, a little messy with the curtains drawn and chilly winter air creeping in. 

_ So, maybe the other world was a dream after all?  _ He thought as he got out of bed, rubbing his eyes and heading downstairs. He passed by his mirror then backed up, doing a double take and staring at himself.

He was still wearing the PJs from the other world.

He gulped. Was he still in the other world? Was this still a dream? Or an illusion? Or, if it was real, then how did his clothes from the dream carry over into real life? And where were his other clothes!?

Before he could think up any answers to those questions, his phone rang in his pocket. He picked it up, seeing Connie’s caller ID and frowning. Did he really want to talk to her right now? After everything? 

Though, if he didn’t pick up, she’d probably just come over to see him for herself…

He picked up the phone and smiled weakly, sitting on the bed. “Hey, Connie.”

“Steven!” She said in a relieved tone. “Good, you finally picked up! I can’t  _ believe _ we haven’t spoken since the hospital! How are you?”

Steven furrowed his brows.  _ Finally? Did he miss her other calls? Was she trying to call him while he was in the other world? _

“Uh, I’m good.” He answered on reflex. 

“Really? Have you had any more issues with swelling and glowing pink?”

He cringed. “Uh… N-no? Well, maybe, I dunno-- wh- uh- how about you? How’s college prep?”

“Steven…” She said, concern apparent in her voice. “That’s- it’s fine, but, what do you mean  _ maybe? _ ”

He bit his lip, feeling anxiety well up in his gut. “Uh- look, I don’t want to-- I don’t wanna talk about that.” He said. “Not now. I don’t-- stop. Okay? Stop.”

There was a beat of silence, and Steven felt his cheeks go pink.

“Sorry! Sorry.” He backpedalled. “I-- that was rude, I--”

“No, no, it’s okay.” She reassured. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it… we can talk later, okay?

“Uh… S-sure? Um…”

“... Do you want me to go…?”

“No!” Steven answered quickly. “No, no, I… well…”

He groaned. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want her to go, he missed her, but he felt like he was gonna have a panic attack if he continued this conversation any longer.

“Y’know what?” Connie said. “How about, um… we talk about something else! Like… uh… have any… weird dreams lately?”

Steven’s eyes widened. “How did you know? Wait-- Connie, um.” He paused, thinking over his words. “Connie, I’m… actually… kinda confused right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, um, okay, can I… tell you something? Don’t freak out or anything, I’m fine, but the  _ strangest _ thing happened last night…”

Connie was silent on the other end, before she gasped and responded. “Ah, yeah! Sorry, I was nodding. Forgot you can’t see me.” She chuckled. 

Steven chuckled too, feeling his anxiety go down a bit. “Okay, uh… So, I had this dream last night, where I went to this…  _ other world _ … and it was like this one, but different? Everyone was really weird, but also really nice… my dad had a house… uh… but the biggest thing was that everyone had  _ buttons  _ for eyes.”

“Buttons for eyes?” Connie asked, perturbed.

“Yeah! Yeah.” He continued. “It was like… dolls. Or something. They told me they were my  _ other _ , uh… friends? Like: An  _ Other _ Pearl, an  _ Other _ Amethyst, an  _ Other  _ Garnet… and I had another dad? And, so, my other dad takes me to his house, and I see my room, and I go to bed… and, I put on some PJs… but I’m still in them.”

“... You lost me.”

“Ah.” Steven frowned. “Okay, the point is: I’m wearing clothes from the dream… in real life. Right now.”

_ “What???” _ Connie asked incredulously. “What do you mean?”

Steven gestured to his PJs, even though she couldn’t see them. “I’m wearing some, like, yellow cat PJs? That I don’t have in real life? I put them on in the other world, and when I woke up, I still had them on. So, I’m kinda confused as to if I’m still dreaming or…”

“Uh…” Connie trailed off, confused. “... Maybe you… sleep… stole? Clothes? Hold on, can we facetime?”

“Ah…” Steven looked around his room.  _ Eh, clean enough. _ “Sure, sure, okay.”

He hit the facetime button and soon saw Connie. She was in her room studying, wearing a yellow polo. She looked down at his shirt and raised her brows, before smiling softly. 

“Aw… those PJs are really cute!!! You’ve got a little ribbon!!!”   


Steven blushed, looking away. “Connie…”

Connie chuckled. “Okay, okay, just-- can I see the rest?”

Steven quirked a brow playfully. “So you can figure out what’s going on or so you can call me adorable?”

“Both.” 

Steven rolled his eyes and got up, showing her his PJs. She hummed. 

“So, you don’t own these?”

“Nope.” Steven said. “I put them on in the dream, woke up in them, and… now my real clothes are gone. The-- well, the clothes I wore to the dream, anyways.”

“Oh.” Connie blinked. “That’s…  _ really _ strange… Do you remember anything before falling asleep?”

“Oh, right.” Steven said, laying down on his bed. “There was this door… in a cave? I ran-- uh-- I… went to the woods last night… and I found it. And I went in. So…”

Connie stared at him. “... Can you show me this  _ door _ ?”

“Sure.” Steven shrugged. “But, um, after breakfast, okay?”

Connie’s stare intensified. “Steven. It’s 1 pm.”

Steven’s eyes widened, and he looked at his phone’s clock. “Oh my stars, it is! Uh-- wow… Okay, well, after lunch, then. I’ll text you.”

“Okay.” Connie said. “Um, bye, then! Hope you find your clothes.”

“Me too.” 

He hung up.

He set down his phone, carding a hand through his hair. This was a  _ lot _ to process. So, the number one working theory right now was that that was an illusion made by some corrupted gem, and the number two is that it was a dream. If it was a dream, though, how is he in these clothes? And, actually, if it was an  _ illusion _ then how is he in these clothes? Wouldn’t they not exist? Unless the gem somehow  _ made him clothes _ or  _ had these? In his exact size-- _

He groaned and got up from his bed, heading downstairs. 

Okay, this wasn’t getting him anywhere. He needed to have breakfast and then he could think about whatever was going on. Maybe he could ask the gems about it? They probably knew of a gem who could make illusions and clothes…

As soon as his foot touched the cold wood floor downstairs, he felt eyes on him. He furrowed his brows and looked around, finding the gems staring back at him.

_ Oh. Right. He ran away last night.  _

**_Oh, no._ **

The gems ran up to him, concern and anger on their faces as they shouted at him.

_ “Steven, where have you been!?”  _

_ “We’ve been worried sick about you, dude!” _

Steven backed up, holding his hands in front of him. “Guys, guys, please! I’m fine!”

“Are you sure?” Amethyst asked, narrowing her eyes.

_ “Steven…” _ Garnet tapped her visor, showing her concerned eyes. “We’re worried.”

“I’m okay. R-really… ah…” He gulped, feeling his cheeks turn pink. “Please, just… give me a little space. I-I’m gonna go make breakfast.” 

He moved past them and into the kitchen, keeping his head down. The gems looked at eachother, then sighed.

“... We’ll take your word for it.” Garnet mumbled, putting her visor back on. 

Pearl walked over to the kitchen, leaning on the table. “Can you at least tell us where you went last night?”

“I, um…” Steven frowned, shutting the fridge. “... I went to… the boardwalk. Just took a walk to calm down, y’know?”

Pearl sighed, clearly not believing him. “Steven,  _ please _ .”

“What!?” Steven fired back, face flashing pink. “I went to the boardwalk!”

“Don’t yell at me!” Pearl chastised.

Steven huffed and tapped the button on the smoothie maker, tapping his foot angrily. His mind wandered back to his dream, and subconsciously he wished he was back there. Even if it was creepy at first, it turned out good in the end, and at least Pearl didn’t yell at him there…

\---

He finished his smoothie and texted Connie, the gems having gone off to their own duties in Little Homeworld after trying to get more information out of Steven. Steven dodged their questions, only revealing that Connie was coming over today, which they seemed happy about.

He smoothed out his clothing: a red sweater with blue jeans. It wasn’t his usual attire, but it would work. He just hoped Connie didn’t notice how off he was feeling.

Steven heard a knock at the door and startled, running down to greet Connie.

“Connie!” He smiled, pulling open the door. “Hi!”

“Hi!~” She greeted back. “How are you? Ready to show me this cool tunnel?”

“Uh, sure!” Steven grabbed a scarf and coat off of the nearby coat rack, pulling them on and shutting the door behind him.

“We’ll take my car, is that ok?” Steven asked.

“Sure.” Connie said, following him.

Steven made his way around the beach house, halfway through realized he… did  _ not _ want to drive. After what happened with the van… no way. 

Anxiety started to pool in his gut. What if he crashed the Dondai with Connie inside? What if he freaked out and went pink and she brought him to the hospital again? What if he freaked out, turned pink, and blew up the car because he grew too big--

“Steven?!” Connie called, snapping him out of his thoughts. He gasped and looked down at her shaking his arm.

“Steven, are you okay? Your face is pink!”

“Uh-” Steven gulped.”I’m fine! Just- a bit nervous, y’know?”

Connie furrowed her brows. “Steven… This is serious. Did you and my mom work out some way to deal with this?”

“Uh…” He avoided her gaze, and caught sight of something peculiar. 

“What the…?” He walked ahead, staring at the empty patch of snow in front of him. “Where’s the Dondai?”

“Don’t change the subject.” Connie crossed her arms.

“No, no, I’m serious!” Steven said, gesturing in front of him. “It’s supposed to be right here! But it’s gone!”

Connie bit her lip nervously. “Uh… maybe try locking it?”

Steven nodded, pressing the button on his remote.

No sound.

He felt anxiety come back to him. 

“Oh my gosh, what if someone stole it!?” He fretted, starting to pant. “I mean, I have no idea who, everyone in this town is so nice, but what if--”

“Steven!” Connie grabbed his shoulders, grounding him. “We can’t freak out, that’ll just make it worse.”

“Oh,  _ great _ idea!” Steven growled. “Just calm down! About my car being stolen!”

Connie sighed. “I know, I know, but there’s not much we can do right now other than try and look for it. I can call Lion?”

Steven nodded. “Okay…”

Connie backed up and whistled out into the open air. A portal appeared five feet away, and Lion jumped out. Connie pet him and hopped on his back.

“Alright, get on.”

Steven nodded, getting behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and blushed, hoping she didn’t think he was invading her privacy. She only smiled at him.

“So, where first?”

“Um…” Steven thought. “... Anywhere.”

“Okay.” Connie nodded, then leaned down to Lion. “Lion, take us anywhere in Beach City. Or, if you know where Steven’s car is, go there.”

Lion roared and opened a portal, leaping through. They came out on the other side in the forest, to their left: Steven’s parked Dondai with snow piled on top of it.

“Well, that was fast.” Connie quipped.

“Yeah.” Steven agreed, hopping off Lion. “But what’s my car doing all the way out…”

His eyes widened, and he slapped his forehead.

“Oh, of course!”

“What?” Connie asked, hopping off Lion as well.

“I drove here last night!” He chuckled. “So  _ of course _ it’d be here!”

“Why’d you drive all the way out here?” Connie asked.

“Uh.” Steven gulped. “... No reason, but uh, this is where I found the cave! In these woods.”

Connie’s eyes widened. “Wait, wait, so… you drove out here last night, found the cave, and woke up today in your bed?”

“Yes?”

“Steven, that’s impossible.”

“What?” Steven raised his brows. “Why?”

“ _ Because _ if you drove out here last night and then dreamed about the ‘other world’, then that means you passed out in these woods! So either someone carried you home, or the dream was definitely real.”

Steven paled.

Connie seemed to be feeling the same way.

“... Steven, where was this door?”

“Um.” Steven bit his lip. “... I guess I can show you. Follow me.”

He led Connie through the forest, purposefully ignoring his surroundings other than what was needed to get to that cave. He didn’t want to think too deeply about this forest and risk going pink. Connie followed along, the tension between them palpable.

Eventually, they got to the cave. Steven stopped in front of it and furrowed his brows.

“That’s strange…”

“What is?” Connie asked. 

“There aren’t any lights on the walls.” 

He traced the edges of the cave with his fingertips as he went further in, musing to himself.

“Last time I was here, it was really bright… I guess the daylight’s drowning it out.”

“Guess so.” Connie shrugged.

He rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. Where there was once a door, there was now just a crude drawing of its likeness, etched in the stone.

“What the heck!?” Steven exclaimed, rushing forward and kneeling by the drawing. “Wha…”

He felt around it, trying to see if he could get a grip of its edges. His fingers found no such purchase and instead he ended up with black markings on his hands, smudging the drawing. He recoiled, his breath quickening.

“But it was right here!!!”   


Connie frowned. She gave him a concerned look that made his stomach coil with embarrassment before she kneeled by him and examined the drawing for herself.

“Huh…” She sat back on her heels. “Well, I guess this means you just had a weird dream, right?”

“No!” Steven refuted. “I mean, maybe! But there was a door here! And now there’s a drawing here instead of a door! But this drawing looks exactly like the door!”

“Hmm… maybe you just saw this door before you went to sleep and dreamt about it?”

Steven opened his mouth to protest, but found that what she said was… very plausible.

“I guess…” He ran a hand through his hair. “It just seemed so real…”

Connie gave him a reassuring smile and patted his back. “Well, now you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Guess so.” Steven sat down, staring at the door. 

Something about this still didn't sit right with him. Yeah, this basically proved that it was all a dream, but what about how he got home? Or where his clothes went?

“Though, the mystery with your clothes is still bugging me.” Connie murmured next to him, semingly thinking the same thing. “Did you just lose them? Maybe? Did you even bother checking your room?”

“I didn’t.” Steven sighed. “But my car… how’d I get home? Well, maybe Lion got me, I guess…” He answered his own question, mind running laps.

“...” Connie glanced back at the door. “... Well, if this happens again, tell me, okay? Then it’ll be a pattern and we’ll  _ know _ something’s up.”

“Will do.” He said, deciding to just let it lie for now.

\---

Steven decided to go and see if he could make himself useful at Little Homeworld after that. Anything to get his mind off of that dumb door.

He checked in on Peridot’s horticulture class, Bismuth’s blacksmithing, and even watched Amethyst play a game of football. He helped out here and there, doing everything eagerly despite the pit of anxiety in his stomach. Some gems caught onto his mood, but he quickly brushed them off. 

He was heading back to his car when Jasper stepped out in front of him, folding her arms into a diamond salute.

“Greetings, My Diamond!”

Steven winced and took a step back. “Uh-- what?”

Jasper straightened her posture even more somehow. “I said: Greetings, My--”

“I heard you.” Steven cut her off. “... Why are you-- why are you  _ calling  _ me that? I’m not--” He sucked in some air through his teeth, clenching his fists as his cheeks lit up. “I’m not my mom.”

“You showed me incredible strength yesterday, my Diamond.” Jasper elaborated. “You showed me the  _ true power _ of a Diamond! And you proved…”

Jasper kept talking, but Steven didn’t hear any of it. His breathing became uneven and his body was shaking as the pink spread over his body more and more. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he turned, locking eyes with a gem who was staring at them. 

He locked eyes with more gems, looking around rapidly at the small crowd that was forming. They looked concerned, confused, or just blank. Steven whimpered, backing up. 

_ Oh, stars, _ He thought.  _ They must think I’m forcing Jasper to do this! That I’m making myself her Diamond! No, no, they can’t-- this place isn’t for that! The Empire is gone! _

“J-Jasper…” He mumbled, forcing himself to look up at her. 

“I was devastated, left without purpose, without your guidance, my Diamond--” She continued, unaware of his discomfort.

_ “Her Diamond?” _ Someone whispered to another.

_ “Isn’t the empire gone? Or… are we supposed to follow Steven now?” _

_ “I don’t know…” _

The whisperings filled Steven’s ears and he felt his whole body turn pink, bulging out. He cried and stumbled, gripping his arm in a vice.

“My Diamond!” Jasper called, rushing over to him. “Are you alright?”

“Get  _ away _ from me!” He shouted, a blast of energy coming off of him and knocking her to her feet. A few gems got pushed away, too, and began moving away from him--

_ \--In fear. _ His brain supplied.

He looked to them, wanting to reassure that it was an accident, that he wasn’t going to hurt anyone, before he looked down at Jasper again.

Jasper’s face, right before death, flashed before his eyes. Here he was again, above her, glowing pink, a  _ Diamond _ .

He ran off, leaving Jasper in the dust.

He didn’t go home, and he didn’t go to the forest. He let his legs carry him wherever they pleased, as long as he wasn’t around people, it was fine by him.

He collapsed in the cold sand, evidently finding himself on a beach, and caught his breath as tears stung his eyes.

“God…” 

He buried his face in his hands.

“Why couldn’t I just be  _ normal _ ?” 

His question fell to the wind as he laid there, the only response being the waves lapping at the sand indifferently. 

He thought back to his childhood, when things seemed so simple. He was living with awesome ‘superheroes’, he had a loving father, a safe home, and no  _ idea _ about what was in store for him. 

Everything seemed so bright back then, when he was more human than gem. But now, with the empire’s fate in his hands, no, the entire  _ universe’s _ fate in his hands, he had to be an ambassador, a leader, a  _ Diamond _ without all the negative connotations that came with it.

It was exhausting.

Today was going well, too, until Jasper had to bring up his sha--

His eyes shot open as a cold chill ran up his spine and heat filled his face in shame. He shuddered and shut his eyes tightly, shaking his head desperately.

_ Don’t think about it don’t think about it don’t think about it don’t think about it don’t think about it don’t think about it don’t think about it don’t think about it don’t think about it-- _

Jasper’s shards flashed before his eyes as the eternity of his life came crashing into him. He gasped for air like he was drowning, and his body went full pink instantaneously. 

He just wished he could get away from all that, go back in time to when he was a kid and didn’t have to think about any of this, when the mere thought of being a gem made him into a destructive monster.

He felt his back disfigure heavily, like it was about to burst open, at that thought. He grit his teeth and cried out into the sand, forcing it back down.

He needed to calm down.

But how?

He looked out at the ocean, hoping that the peaceful view would bring him comfort like it had in the past. Instead, it made his stomach drop.

Because right in the middle of the beach, sitting straight up, was his doll.

He gulped and sat up, wiping his eyes and squinting at the shoreline. The silhouette stood there, unchanging.

How did it get out here?

He crawled over to the doll, narrowing his eyes at it when he finally reached it. He was still shaking, but his mind was more focused on the doll now than his own life’s spiral of doom.

“... How the hell are you here?” He asked bluntly, bopping the doll on the side of the face and knocking it over. It laid there, lifeless. 

He looked into its eyes, finding himself drawn to it’s buttons. 

Something clicked in his head.  _ Could this doll and the Other World be connected somehow…?  _

Before he could expand more on that thought, he saw the  _ strangest _ thing once again.

He saw, in his mind, the cave.. It’s light was luring him in, dancing along the walls and making him feel warm…

He blinked a few times, his brain feeling foggy now. He groaned and gripped his skull.

_ Why was he thinking of the cave? That had nothing to do with any of this! _

Memories came to surface in his mind: Other Pearl’s wonderful breakfast, Other Greg’s cozy house with his delicious smelling candles and wonderful, soft, bed. How it was warm there, instead of freezing like it was here.

…

But it wasn’t real.

Was it?

He looked back down at the doll, but found it was gone.

“Wha…?” His eyes went wide and he looked around for the doll. He saw it on top of a rock, the forest in the background.

He gulped.

Was this crazy? Was he really going to the Other World again? The one with the freaky button eyes and this  _ weird doll  _ that was maybe alive? Seriously? This whole thing  _ screamed _ dangerous and he’d be desperate if he went back to that place  _ just _ because it had good food and nice weather.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he jolted. He picked it up.

“Hello…?”

“Steven?” Pearl hesitated. “Why is Jasper at our house? And why is she calling you her Diamond again? Did something happ--”

He hung up and sprinted for the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls leave a comment so i can convert it into writing energy

**Author's Note:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed this-- there'll probably be more to come if the feedback is good. So please leave a comment- I consume them for power :)


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